Ice machine



W. H. TAYLOR Dec. 8, 1936.

ICE MACHINE Filed Feb. 2, 1935 INVENTOR.

ATTORNEY' Patented n... o s, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,063,771 ICE MACHINEWilliam H. Taylor, Muskego, Wis., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Corporation, Chicago,

Reconstruction Finance 111., a corporation Application February 2, 1935,Serial No. 4,669

10 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to improvements in theconstruction and operation of machines for congealing fluent substances.and for constantly removing the congealed material from the coolingsurfaces. I

An object of the invention is to provide an improved ice machine whichis simple and compact in construction, and which is, moreover,

highly efllcient in operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved liquidcongealing machine which may be conveniently actuated to automaticallyand continuously produce abundant quantities of congealed substance.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved cooling unitwherein refrigerant may be most effectively applied to a relativelylarge but compactly arranged cooling surface.

Still another object of the invention is to pro-" vide improvedmechanism for continuously and eifectively removing congealed fluentsubstance from a cooling surface, with minimum effort.

An additional object of the invention is to provide an improved icemaking machine which can be manufactured and operated at moderate cost.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved rotary iceproducing unit having relatively great capacity, which may be safelyoperated by a novice.

These and other objects and advantages will lee apparent from thefollowing specific desecripion.

A clear conception of embodiments of theseveral features constitutingthe presentv improvement, and of the mode of constructing and operatingice machines built in accordance with the invention, may be had byreferring to the drawing accompanying and forming a part of thisspecification, in which like reference characters designate the same orsimilar parts in the several views.

Fig. 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic'central vertical longitudinal sectionthrough one of the im'- proved ice making units, the' normal enclosingcasing having been omitted therefrom;

Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section through the ice producing andremoving portion of the. unit, the section having been taken along theline 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modified type of ice film removingimplement; and

Fig. 4 is a side view of the implement shown in Fig. 3.

While the invention has been shown and described herein as beingspecifically applied in an ice making machine for converting liquid intoslush-ice, it is not intended to thereby restrict the scope ofapplication of the improvement to such machines and uses, since theimproved structure is obivously applicable with the same 5 advantages tothe congealment of other fluent substances.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawing, the improved ice makingmachine illustrated therein comprises, in general, a rotary main casing5 10 having external substantially cylindrical outer and inner coolingsurfaces 6, I connected-by spaced, substantially plane cooling surfaces8;

a main shaft 9 drivingly connected to and supporting one end" of thecasing 5; a refrigerant 15 exhaust or suction pipel0 rotatablysupporting the opposite end of the casing 5 and communicating with theinternal chamber H formed by the casing; a refrigerant supply pipe I2extending through the pipe l0 and axially into the 2 chamber ll; one ormore liquid supply pipes [3 having perforations It for spraying liquidupon the cooling surfaces 6, I, 8; a series of revolving cutters orscrapers l5 mounted upon an auxiliary rotary shaft l6 and cooperablewith the 25 cooling surfaces 6, 1, 8 to remove the congealed liquidtherefrom; and mechanism for driving the machine.

The main rotary casing 5 is preferably constructed as a relatively thinshell having substantially uniform thickness at the cooling surfaces 6,1, 8, and the drive shaft 9 may be welded,'or otherwise attachedthereto. The shaft 9 is journaled in a bearing l1 and is rotatable by apulley l8 secured to an end thereof, and the remainder 35 of the drivingmechanism comprises a gear [9 mounted on the shaft! and meshing with apinion 20 secured to the auxiliary shaft l6 so as to drive the latterwhen the casing 5 is revolving. The end of the casing 5 which isjournaled 40 upon the exhaust pipe I0, is provided with a seal 2| forpreventing escape of refrigerant from the chamber II; and the end of thepipe l0 within the chamber l i is preferably located as near to thebottom of this chamber as possible.

The refrigerant supply pipe I! is preferably provided with a suitablecontrol valve, and the delivery end of this pipe is provided with amultiplicity 'of radial orifices or holes 22 formed to spray theadmitted refrigerant over the entire interior of the chamber II. Theliquid supply pipe l3 may also be provided with a suitable control valve23 for regulating the quantity of liquid delivered to the coolingsurfaces 6, I, 8, and the extreme ends of the casing 5 may be gravityupon a screen 29.

provided with insulation if so desired. The scrapers I5 may beadjustably secured to the auxiliary shaft I6 by means of set screws 24and are provided with cutting edges 25, 26, 21, which are cooperablewith the cooling surfaces 6, I, 8, respectively; and the gearingconnecting the shafts 9, I6 may be such that these shafts are rotatedeither in the same or in opposite directions, and either at the same-orat differential speeds. As illustrated, these shafts are rotated inopposite directions, and the shaft I6 is driven at considerably higherspeed than the driving shaft 9. The scrapers I5 may be spacedequidistant about the axis of the shaft I5, and this shaft may bejournaled in fixed bearings 28 as shown.

The ice making unit is preferably housed within an enclosure, not shown,in order to prevent excessive loss of ice by melting, and the slush-iceremoved from the cooling surfaces by the scrapers I5 may be caused todrop by This screen 29 may be mounted upon a basin 30 for catching theexcess liquid which is separated from the slushice by the screen 29, andmeans for mechanically removing the relatively dry ice particles fromthe screen 29 may also be provided.

During the normal operation of the improved ice machine shown in Figs. 1and 2, the casing 5 is revolving in the direction indicated by the arrowin Fig. 2; and the scrapers I5 are being,

revolved in the opposite direction, as indicated by the arrow, and atsomewhat higher speed, to cause the cutting edges 25, 25, 21 to coactwith the cooling surfaces 5, I, 8, respectively. Liquid refrigerant isbeing admitted in regulated quantities through the pipe I2 and isdelivered into the cooling chamber II through the orifices 22, therebymaintaining the cooling surfaces 6, I,- 8 below freezing temperatures,at all times. The gaseous refrigerant, together with the oil and otherimpurities, are being withdrawn from the chamber I 2 through the exhaustpipe I0, and liquid is being sprayed in regulated quantities from theholes I4 of the pipe I3, over the revolving surfaces 6, I, 8. As thisliquid strikes the cooling surfaces, films of ice are formed upon thelatter, and the revolving scrapers I5 constantly remove portions ofthese films. By virtue of the fact that both the casing 5 and thecutters or scrapers I5 are revolving, these cutters will describesubstantially cycloidal successive-paths upon the plane surfaces 8 andmoved from the casing 5. The removed ice, to-

gether with excess liquid, drops by gravity upon the screen 29, wherethe excess liquid is drained into the receptable 30, and from which therelatively dry ice particles may be removed in any convenient manner.

If so desired, the revolving cutter or scrapers I5 of Figs. 1 and 2 maybe replaced by fixed scrapers I5, as shown in Figs. 3 and-4. These fixedscrapers I5 are adjustably mounted upon a fixed shaft I6 and havescraping edges 25',

which are cooperable with the revolving casing surfaces 6, I, 8,respectively. By fixedly mounting the scrapers I5, the scraping edgescompletely remove the entire ice films from the surfaces 6, I, 8 duringeach revolution of the casing 5, so that greater care must be exercisedin the delivery of liquid to these cooling surfaces, than is necessarywith the revolving scraper structure of Figs. 1 and 2. If the films are,permitted to become relatively thick, the scrapers I5 will be subjectedto enormous strains and excessive power will be required to revolve thecasing 5. Aside from the scraper formation shown in Figs. 3 and 4, themachine would be otherwise substantially the same as shown in Figs. 1and 2; and it is to be noted that in order to effectively utilize thescrapers of Figs. 3 and 4, the casing 5 should be revolved in adirection opposite to that indicated in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the presentinvention provides an improved ice making unit which is simple, compact,and durable in construction and which is, moreover, highly efficient inoperation. forming the casing 5 as shown, relatively large coolingsurfaces are made available in a rotor of limited dimensions, and theinjection of the refrigerant by means of a perforated pipe I2, as shown,insures most efficient distribution of the cooling medium within thechamber II. While the scraper structure of Figs. 1 and 2 reduces thepower consumption to a minimum, the structure of Figs. 3 and 4 issomewhat less complicated and will more rapidly remove the successivefilms from the casing 5. The capacity of the machine may be readilyvaried by varyto limit the invention to the exact details ofconstruction and to the precise mode of operation herein shown anddescribed, for various modifications within the scope of the claims mayoccur to persons skilled in the art.

It is claimed and desired to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In combination, a casing rotatable about an axis and having externalannular cooling surfaces, means for cooling said surfaces, means fordelivering liquid to said surfaces, and a series of revolvable cuttersdriven by said casing and c0- operable with said surfaces to removecongealed material therefrom.

2. In combination, a rotary casing forming a chamber and having a seriesof external annular cooling surfaces, means for admitting refrigerant tosaid chamber, means for delivering liquid to said cooling surfaces, and"a revolving cutter having a series of cutting edges successivelycooperable with said surfaces to remove congealed material therefrom.-

3. In combination, a rotary casinr forming a chamber and having anexternal cooling surface, means for delivering refrigerant centrallyaxially into said chamber throughout the entire length thereof, meansextending adjacent the chamber wall for removing spent refrigerantperipherally therefrom, means for delivering fiuent substance to saidcooling surface, and

means for removing congealed material from said into said chamber andfor removing spent refrigerant peripherally therefrom, means fordelivering fluent substance to said cooling surface, and a revolvingcutter for removing congealed material from said surface during rotationof said casing.

5. In combination, a rotary casing having annular cooling surfaces ofdifferent diameters and intervening substantially plane coolingsurfaces, means for cooling said surfaces, means for delivering fluentsubstance to said surfaces, and means traveling in a substantiallycycloidal path for removing congealed material from said surfaces. r

6. In combination, a casing rotatableabout an axis and having externalannular cooling surfaces, means for cooling said surfaces, means fordelivering liquid to said surfaces, and a series of angularly separatedcutters movable about a common axis and cooperable with said surfaces toremove congealed material therefrom.

7. In combination, a rotary casing having substantially cylindrical andsubstantially plane external cooling surfaces, means for cooling saidsurfaces, means for delivering fluent substance to said surfaces, aplurality of revoluble cutters for removing congealed material from boththe cylindrical and plane surfaces, a common mounting for said cutters,and means for simultaneously driving the casing and cutter mounting.

8. In combination, a casing having an external cooling surface rotatableabout an axis in one direction, means for cooling said surface, meansfor delivering liquid to said surface, and a cutter cooperable with saidsurface to remoye congealed liquid therefrom, said cutter beingrotatable by said casing in the opposite direction. v

' 9. In, combination, a casing having an external plane cooling surfacerotatable in one direction about an axis disposed perpendicular to saidsurface, means for cooling said-surface, means for delivering liquid tosaid surface, and a cutter removable along said surface to removecongealed liquid therefrom, said cutter being rotatable about adifferent axis by said casing and in the opposite direction.

10. In combination, a casing having a series of parallel external planecooling surfaces rotatable in one direction about an axis extendingperpendicular to said surfaces, means for cooling said surfaces, meansfor delivering liquid to said surfaces, and cutters movable along saidsurfaces to remove congealed liquid therefrom, said cutters beingrotatable about ,a different axis and

